2018 Get Organized & Declutter Your Stuff

[TheOtherMe]

Nov 27, 2018 12:55:59 GMT -5 debthaven said:

I woke up at 4 am today, and couldn't get back to sleep (alarm was set for 6). Ended up coming downstairs at 5. So I will definitely go to bed at a reasonable hour, but not too early either.

 

Stress makes me wake up too early thinking about whatever it is I am stressing over.  It also usually makes me have problems going to sleep.  The more tired I am, the easier I get stressed.  It's a vicious circle.  

[debthaven]

moneysquirrel thank you, that is good advice about the car. Clearly these cars are NOT all that desirable or they would have been gone already. But as I've said before, DH and I always choose cars that have a sunroof.

But DH is right, the worst-case scenario is that IF my car suddenly dies, he drives me around on the motorcycle for a day or two until we can get to the bank/choose a car. Once DH offered that option, I decided NOT to buy a new car until the kitchen loan is completely paid off.

I think it's wonderful that you have so many hobbies moneysquirrel. I wish I could do my hobby (theater) during the day rather than in the evenings LOL.

Finally, with today done, the worst is over. Thank you my friends for all your support. It means the world to me. For the first time in 13.5 weeks, I actually believe I will finish this semester LOL.

[debthaven]

TheOtherMe I have NEVER had sleep problems before. Sleep has always been an "escape". This is totally new to me.

[TheOtherMe]

You will finish this semester, as difficult as it has been.

I talked to my professor nephew.  He is now getting contact from students who are in danger of flunking a required course.  Most have not been in class very often and have not turned in papers.  Now they may not graduate and will lose a job that is contingent on them graduating in January.  How is that the fault of the professor?

[TheOtherMe]

Nov 27, 2018 15:46:42 GMT -5 debthaven said:

TheOtherMe I have NEVER had sleep problems before. Sleep has always been an "escape". This is totally new to me.

That is difficult.  It's been a lifelong issue for me.  

I do hope it improves once the semester is over.

[debthaven]

TheOtherMe one of my best friends co-runs the sleep clinic at our local hospital. If this is an ongoing issue, maybe sign up for a sleep trial at your local clinic/hospital? My friend has helped SO MANY PEOPLE find blessed sleep again, it might be worth it for you.

[debthaven]

I talked to my professor nephew. He is now getting contact from students who are in danger of flunking a required course. Most have not been in class very often and have not turned in papers. Now they may not graduate and will lose a job that is contingent on them graduating in January. How is that the fault of the professor?

IMO there is a RIDICULOUS lack of any sense of responsibility.

I threw a kid out of my first-year class today. I have a great relationship with them, they are my favorite class this semester. I told them FOUR TIMES that when we do the correction for the grammar test on the screen today, if I see a phone, I will throw them out and give them a zero (school policy, not mine). Tests take HOURS AND HOURS to create, nobody wants to have to rewrite a test because some schmuck decided to take a photo of it on the screen and pass it on (ie post it on FB).

He couldn't believe it!!! He came to see me after class, telling me "he must have been asleep when I said that because he finished early and didn't hear me." I told him, were you also asleep BEFORE the test? Because I said it twice BEFORE the test, and twice AFTER the test. You've had class with me twice a week ALL semester. Have I ever lied to you before? I told you FOUR TIMES, very clearly, if I see a phone out during the corrections, out you go, and you get a zero. What about that is unclear?

*SMH*

A colleague had to do the same yesterday, as I said, school policy. There are always at least a few per semester. Plus I always warn my students, I have four kids, I know what texting looks like, even if the phone is under the table LOL.

But Gd forbid ANYTHING should ever be THEIR fault!

ETA: And next week they do their online evaluations of the course/professor. I'm guessing I will get one VERY negative evaluation, and I'm guessing I will know who it was from LOL.

ETA2: But I don't envy your nephew. I'm an adjunct so negative evaluations don't affect me as much as they affect permanent professors. I would suggest he speak to his boss because this is definitely not the first time, and the school certainly has a policy for this sort of thing. It's always good when we can say "per school policy, I have to do X/Y/Z."

Obviously I am not talking about particular cases, ie if a student was ill, or under undue stress.

[debthaven]

IMO, these students think that since they got INTO the school, it means they automatically get to graduate from it.

Um, no. It doesn't work that way. Once you're in, you actually have to do the work required in order to graduate.

Some of them have a hard time getting their heads around that. 

And it doesn't help that the schools are getting softer. I've already mentioned the woman I failed who NEVER TURNED UP FOR ONE SINGLE CLASS, for my drama/public speaking class that SHE OPTED TO SIGN UP FOR. I failed her, she appealed, and The Powers that Be passed her into the following year. 

Frankly I'm glad I'm 58 and not 38. I can't deal with much more of this Shite.

I wouldn't be at ALL surprised if your nephew's bosses tell him to "go easy on them", or something like that.

[TheOtherMe]

Nov 27, 2018 15:53:45 GMT -5 debthaven said:

TheOtherMe one of my best friends co-runs the sleep clinic at our local hospital. If this is an ongoing issue, maybe sign up for a sleep trial at your local clinic/hospital? My friend has helped SO MANY PEOPLE find blessed sleep again, it might be worth it for you.

I have had a sleep study.   

[TheOtherMe]

I think the negative reviews are the reason nephew's wife (also a professor) no longer gives tests.  She said lots of complaints about too much stress, too many needed accommodations while taking tests, etc.  She grades based on papers.

She had a student when she was an adjunct who never came to class and never turned in anything.  She flunked him (actually he flunked himself).  He appealed because he was busy trying to start a business.  The F stood.

Nephew said this course he is teaching this semester causing all the complaints right now (with one week of classes before finals) is a requirement for the major.  It's also the course that graduates say after they have a job helped them the most.  It's some kind of political research course.  As he said, if you can't do research, your employer will not keep you.

He did teach for one semester at a football school.  He did get told to pass football players.

He has told me, so far, where he is now, his grades have always been upheld.  His wife mostly teaches graduate level courses.  She asks her students if you can't handle the stress for an exam, how will you defend your dissertation?

[chapeau]

Students expecting to pass and graduate just because they were admitted drive me nuts. I’ve been asked to adjunct teach a couple of classes, and I have managed to avoid it so far. As a friend who does teach told me, adjuncts get dropped in a heartbeat if their reviews aren’t good.
I’m afraid I would be tempted to tell them “this is a prestigious institution. You are not going to ruin that reputation because of your inability to show up for class and turn in assignments. There are generations of students who have managed to do both who benefit from their degree.”
Betting I wouldn’t make it to the second semester.

[startsmart]

Had a pretty productive day over here. I've been sleeping horribly the last few nights so not having early morning calls has been so nice. I am slowly eating the fresh food in the fridge before vacation but things are looking kinda bare. There's still a lot of work to do in my office to clean up papers. I can tell that overall my house is a lot more manageable because I decided to pick up or put away 100 items tonight and I got to about 70 and couldn't find anything else that needed to be done. Some things aren't in the ideal place but most everything has a home and fits in well. 

Tomorrow I think I'll brave the rain and go to the storage unit to swap some boxes and pick up my Christmas decor. Probably won't do a whole lot before I leave but it'll feel like progress. 

Catching up on laundry tonight but have already packed vacation clothes and most everything else. After I finish watching the news I'm going to work on more pictures because I am hoping to give a box to my dad, my uncle and my aunt by the end of the week. 

[Sharon]

Heading into the homestretch for the end of the big projects, maybe.   I knew there would be some miscellaneous painting to finish up etc.  I had kind of forgotten that the cable that hooks to the TV from the antennae came up from the floor.  After all it is easier to just drill a hole in the floor rather than run the cable through the wall and have the connection on the wall. .  I found someone who could get in here on Friday and do the cable the right way, so living room flooring can be done correctly, no hole in the new carpet for this stupid cable.

Tonight I pulled up the flooring in the master bath and found some dry rot around the shower.  It isn't too bad but need to talk with the flooring guy about what needs to be done to fix it.  Every little thing I try to do leads to six other things that I wasn't anticipating or didn't want to deal with at the moment.

[startsmart]

it's the list that never ends! 

Finish packing for vacation
Clean the kitchen counters
Work on shite pile in the office
Put Goodwill donation in the car
Put away the other luggage that I'm not taking on vacation
Find wherever I put the dog sweaters
Install a shelf in the garage
Empty the fridge and scrub it well
Finish up the dishes tonight
Finish my laundry and put it all away
Organize candles and put them away
Really clean the guest bath
Touch up paint in my bedroom
Touch up paint in the living room
Refill dog food container
Vacuum
-Hallway
-Living room rug
-Bedroom rug
-Lounge rug
Finish up a bit of caulk in the shower
Finish emergency bag and put it in the garage

[TheOtherMe]

I have not one or two but three cleaning women here!  

[TheOtherMe]

In one hour and ten minutes, three women made my house look and smell spectacular.  

I am now on the waiting list to be a regular client after the first of the year.  

I don't think I've ever had anybody who cleaned my house as deeply and completely as these women did.

Poor Lucy.  She was kept very busy with 3 people in 3 different places.  Makes it difficult to protect the territory.

[Iggy aka IG]

startsmart, that is quite the list!  Well done!  Do you think part of the motivation is your upcoming vacation?

TheOtherMe, so glad they did a good job.  Sounds like a good fit! 

Things are going as usual around here for the work week.  One thing I have been doing is tossing socks with holes as I've come across them which has made for more room in that drawer.  I also found a storage spot for the new Kitchenaid upright mixer DH bought for venison processing purposes, so that's one less thing cluttering the countertop this week.

[debthaven]

I hope you can get on their list soon TheOtherMe ! They sound great!

This week's marking

36 Grammar tests/Tues+Wed

I managed to finish them at school today, so I won't have much marking this weekend. 

[bean29]

I always ship my online orders to DH's office. I placed a black Friday ad for Christmas gifts and shipped it to the office. I told DH there were Christmas gifts for DS (who works for DH). DH gave the coat I ordered to DS. I told DH well, that was supposed to be a Christmas Gift. DH said the one DS was wearing looked bad. DS powerlifts and he has gained significant upper body bulk.

I have to tell DH to ask DS if he can have his old Eddie Baurer Coats if they no longer fit.

I do Have a start on Christmas shopping. We have an extra table up in the basement from Thanksgiving. I think I will put the chairs away and use the table for wrapping presents. DH will do it for me if I label who the presents are for.

I screwed up my pin on my Redcard and my card is frozen, I was able to reset pin (twice) but when I try to use it online there is something wrong.  I can't get past the security answers.  and DH said Kohls called about potential fraud on my card. It is not fraud. I bought rugs, (and pillows for the couch) and when I went to get them they claimed they were not there, so I went to a different store and bought different ones.  Then I returned the pillows b/c they did not go with the new rugs and had them cancel the rug order that the kept insisting was not there even though they sent me and e-mail to pick up at that store.

I have been on hold with eddie baurer for about 40 minutes to get a price adjustment on something I just got.  I finally got to a customer service rep!

I managed to put the decorations close to my house on a timer after I got home last night.  Luckily it was not complicated.  It is supposed to warm up this weekend, so hopefully I can get the rest of the outdoor decorations done. 

I am at work but just sidetracked myself in to a personal quickbooks issue for DH's business.  I just backed out b/c it was taking too long.  Bad Girl. 

[TheOtherMe]

Owner said after the first of the year she will have openings.  Right now, she is inundated with people wanting their houses cleaned both before and after Christmas.  I was lucky that she would do mine on a one-time basis.

Owner checked and I'm already on the wait list.

I was actually thinking of having the carpet on the steps to the basement ripped up.  They did a great job vacuuming the cat hair and whatever else off of those and they can stay.  That means I saved that money.  

[bean29]

Nov 28, 2018 11:25:53 GMT -5 Iggy aka IG said:

startsmart , that is quite the list!  Well done!  Do you think part of the motivation is your upcoming vacation?

TheOtherMe , so glad they did a good job.  Sounds like a good fit! 

Things are going as usual around here for the work week.  One thing I have been doing is tossing socks with holes as I've come across them which has made for more room in that drawer.  I also found a storage spot for the new Kitchenaid upright mixer DH bought for venison processing purposes, so that's one less thing cluttering the countertop this week.

I was so happy that DD cleaned her room that I did not care that she just tossed stuff in the garbage. I am telling myself that is what I need to to with the 2 baskets I brought up from the basement. Honestly, they were in the basement nearly a year - no one was looking for any of that stuff too hard. I did match a bunch of socks for DH and DS and DD. (DD might have just added them to the stuff she tossed). DS took the hangers I left in his room, but not the socks. So, yeah. I just need to stop trying to find the pairs.

[Iggy aka IG]

bean29, glad DD cleaned her room!  I also have things shipped to my office.  For home deliveries, we have a rural community box that UPS and FedEx put things into, and it leads itself to drama via missing packages, someone stealing the entire contents last Christmas season, people leaving it unlocked, etc.  Not worth it.

[ohmomto2boys]

One thing I have been doing is tossing socks with holes as I've come across them which has made for more room in that drawer.

I have also been doing this.  I am terrible about wearing socks with holes around the house (drives DH nuts).  I will wear mis-matched socks around the house instead of tossing both socks because only one has holes.

Cleaned our office in the house.  It was complete clutter and a dumping ground for stuff.   We are looking around for a smaller desk and will be heading to Amish country since locally we have been unsuccessful.  I need to go thru the file cabinet and start shredding papers to downsize that.  There are papers from when the kids went to daycare over 5 years ago.  

Next project is the 1/2 bath.  We have the contractor lined up.  I have ordered the tile, cabinet and sink.  Need to get all the misc. items before he starts.  Spoke to him last night and it might be after Christmas.  That is fine with us.

[startsmart]

Iggy - I always try to get a lot done before I leave so I come home and things look really nice. Lowers my stress if all I have to do is throw dirty clothes in the washer and put away my luggage.

I got the Christmas boxes from storage because the rain stopped today! Of course they were all the way in the back so lots of rearranging to get there. I also put the headboard I’m not using in storage, it shipped incorrectly and I may hold onto it for the next house so storage it is!

In total just 4 bins and the tree so it fit in my car in one go.

I am so close to being done with the photo albums, I will probably take a few hours tonight to work on the last two. Then I need to put all the photos into envelopes for family and back them up.

I decided to back up my desktop today because having 25% free space on a 1TB hard drive is crazy. My computer has been so dang slow too. Transferring a lot of files to my portable hard drives and I’ll drop those off at the safety deposit box before I go on vacation.

[TheOtherMe]

I was planning to give great niece my necklaces.  I have never worn jewelry.  These are modern and nice looking.  All were purchased to help out a family member selling things on Etsy.  All were purchased in the last couple of years.

I am not giving her my Grandma's jewelry that I have.  

I'm positive she will really like one of them.  If she doesn't like the others, they can toss them.

[debthaven]

bean29 I understand how relieved you are that your DD went through her room! Congrats!

I'm glad you got the Christmas stuff out startsmart . Even if you don't put it out before you leave, you won't have to go to the storage unit when you get back.

My friend pinned and took the new curtains on Sun. She said I'd get them back within two weeks. She texted me tonight, they're done! Her DH (DH's good friend) will drop them off tomorrow. VERY reasonable price too!

So I'll ask her to take in the two pairs of pants I need taken in. I was a bit shy about asking her about the curtains, but she loves to sew and has an ETSY shop and a side business.

 

 

[TheOtherMe]

I decluttered my mind this afternoon.  I did the income side of my tax return.  It appears I had sufficient withholding, so I feel very good about that.  State return can't be downloaded yet so I can't do anything with that.

The cleaning people actually straightened up one of my shelves.  There are many things on that shelf that can be out of my house on trash day.  Another plus.

[startsmart]

Lol I went BACK to the storage unit for a couple boxes so I can put up all these photos for the family. Empty albums, old picture frames and lots of completed pics!

Also got my eyebrows done, went to the safety deposit box, dropped off the audio books at the library and made it home before the rain started again.

Tonight will be finishing up those photos and organizing them and then scanning papers in the office.

[nikiz628]

Nov 28, 2018 12:56:04 GMT -5 ohmomto2boys said:

One thing I have been doing is tossing socks with holes as I've come across them which has made for more room in that drawer.

I have also been doing this.  I am terrible about wearing socks with holes around the house (drives DH nuts).  I will wear mis-matched socks around the house instead of tossing both socks because only one has holes.

Cleaned our office in the house.  It was complete clutter and a dumping ground for stuff.   We are looking around for a smaller desk and will be heading to Amish country since locally we have been unsuccessful.  I need to go thru the file cabinet and start shredding papers to downsize that.  There are papers from when the kids went to daycare over 5 years ago.  

Next project is the 1/2 bath.  We have the contractor lined up.  I have ordered the tile, cabinet and sink.  Need to get all the misc. items before he starts.  Spoke to him last night and it might be after Christmas.  That is fine with us.

Hole-y socks become cleaning rags in this house 
Although I am guilty of wearing them with holes for longer than I should.... 

[nikiz628]

Nov 27, 2018 12:55:14 GMT -5 nikiz628 said:

TO DO: THIS WEEK
Clean out the fridge (doing this tonight, leftover night for dinner)
Dust/Vac
Clean the kitchen
Do laundry
Put said laundry away
Drop off recycling
Grocery store
Get Christmas cards finished and mailed
Exchange an item at Wal-Mart
Finish hooking up the outdoor Christmas lights (all are up, just need the extension cords to make them glow)
Transfer my old files to my new laptop 
Wrap Christmas gifts as they get delivered (Sorry, UPS guy- you're about to see a lot of my house)
Do end of the month budget check/balance checkbook
Make Christmas signs for PTO movie night
Finalize craft details for PTO movie night
Pick up flyers (and deliver to school) for PTO movie night 
Have DS1 try on his Christmas program outfit- return if it doesn't fit
Poly wood countertop for old bathroom
Finish vanity frame for old bathroom & install 
Set up Santa shop Thurs night @ DS1s school 
Review Christmas shopping list and finish up shopping  

Just chugging along. DS2 now has pinkeye, so I am basically disinfecting my entire house constantly.  And 3 year olds DO NOT understand "do not touch your eyes!" (They are also freakishly strong when fighting off eye drops). 

DS1 had it last week and I thought we had done a good job keeping it contained to just him. Nope.